It's my personal opinion that Microsoft are making a mistake by aiming the Xbox as a media hub rather than a purebred gaming machine, there are a massive number of devices that aren't as locked down as the Xbox will be with regards to format support and features.

Both consoles have similar specs, Orbis has the same CPU but more powerful GPU, extra APUs, faster memory, etc.. they don't charge for online, free games via PS+, they don't lock down features that are free on other consoles behind a pay wall.

Durango with weaker specs more aimed as a media centre than a pure games machine is a mistake. I'm not looking for a discussion, that's all I have to say on the matter.

Then maybe you should slap an "IMHO" after that, instead of stating it as a clear fact, despite the fact that history has showed that you opinion/statement on this is wrong. people don't look at specs when buying, and what the xbox offers as far as a hub goes, in rental (at the highest quality(highest bit rate) around, music and Xbox glass and the rest, it puts it at an advantage without having to compete on pure hardware.

in any case, if Sony plans to release this year, it's to late to add more memory. that means a hardware change, a hardware change requires months of testing, then verification, then QnA, then factories need to be retooled, and their production needs to be retested, and it goes on and on, even with a small change like that, they'd be lucky to be ready for production by the end of the year. and even so if they do announce increased RAM, MS could announce faster ram and faster GPU the next day. for all practical purposes the changes required amount to the same time in testing and retooling.

besides that after the PS3 I doubt they could afford it. especially since if the trend keeps up. sales of the next gen will be even slower than it was last time. The PS3 will never sell as much as the PS2 did, and the PS4 will most likely never sell as much as the PS3 will.

the only way to turn this trend, is to offer more than a gaming machine. and just slapping a movie rental service on top, isn't going to do it.

yes, but now they're obviously trying to move over to their own limited scope social network. which is overall a bad idea.

The article doesn't even say that. It says a new social feature, not a new social network. The social feature probably IS the Dualshock share button.

The controller

Sources close to the hardware have revealed to us that PS4 will ship with a redesigned controller which is the same size as an existing DualShock but features a small touchpad in place of the existing Select, Start and PS buttons. The tech is based on Vita’s rear touchpad, and is similarly responsive in use.

A new Share button on the controller will, when pressed, launch a new feature that will allow screenshots and video to be distributed online. The PS4 hardware will continually record the most recent 15 minutes of onscreen action (with no processing penalty, claims our source), which users will then be able to edit and broadcast via the Internet.

hopefully, unless they've decided to block FB just because MS are part owners and will probably be heavily integrated in the nextbox. (following their strategy with everything else they've done the last few years)